Double-twist twisting mechanism



April 24, 1951 N. E. KLEIN 2,549,821

DOUBLE-TWIST TWISTING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 2, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR NORMAN E. KLEIN BY April 1951 N. E. KLEIN 2,549,821

DOUBLE-TWIST TWISTING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 2, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENTOR NOFEMAN E. KLEIN Patented Apr. 24, 1951 zsiaz DOUBLE-TWIST i'.'WIS.[ING MECHANISM Norman E. Klein, Stamford, Conn, assignor to Deering Milliken Research Trust, Pendleton, S. 0., a nonprofit trust of Maine Application October 2, 1947, Serial No. 777,389

13 Claims.

The present invention relates to the textile art, and more particularly to that part of the art concerned with the twisting of filamentary material and comprises a new method and a new twisting machine for inserting twist into filamentary material or for increasing the twist in low twist yarn. The invention, while particularly adapted for use in inserting twist into strands of continuous filaments having no twist therein, hereinafter called zero twist yarns may advantageously be employed for increasing the twist of low twist yarn. The machine of the invention is of simple construct-ion, is dynamically stable, is efficient in operation and can impart, as desired, either a low or a high twist to the yarn. The machine of the present invention is a two-for-one twister as, for each revolution of a spindle, two twists are inserted into the yarn. There .are two types of twisters now in commercial use, namely the ring type, such as the usual ring spinner where the yarn is twisted while being wound onto a rotating bob bin, and the incremental, relatively high speed, type, such as the Atwood twister, where the yarn is twisted while being unwound from a rotating bobbin. This latter type is unsatisfactory for use with zero twist yarns, as the untwisted yarn tends to skin-back in passing through the flyer. The ring type is limited in speed of production both of high twist and of low twist yarn; the former by the traveller speed and the latter by the speed of the feed rolls. In each type the bobbin or yarn package is carried by and rotates with the'spindle, and one twist is inserted in the yarn for each revolution of the spindle. Two-for-one twisters heretofore suggested have not been commercially practical for a number of reasons. They have tended to be dynamically unstable, have required relatively large bearin s for the rotating shaft, and have not generally delivered the yarn intoa package suitable for use without respooling. Further, the tension gradients in their yarn flow paths have been high.

It is an object of the invention to provide a method and means for imparting in a single op eration low or high twist, as desired, to zero twist filaments in a commercially practical manner.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a two or-one twister which is dynamically stable. can be run at a high speed and in which the tension gradient in the yarn flow circuit is low.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a two-for-one twister which can draw continuous filaments from a cake and deliver twisted yarn in a type of package that may be used directly, as, for example, in a warper creel, without any intermediate respooling operations.

In accordance with the invention, these and other objects are achieved by the provision of a two-for-one twister in which the spindle or rotating shaft is above the yarn supply package and the package is pendulously supported from a single bearing. This arrangement permits the use of fewer and smaller bearings, and of higher rotating speeds. Moreover, in the inverted twofor-one twister of the invention the yarn flow path preferably includes but one turn as compared to the two such turns heretofore considered necessary in twofor-0ne tw sters. As the friction pull experienced by the yarn increases exponentially with the angle of turn about a fixed bearing surface, material reduction in the tension gradient throughout the yarn path is achieved. In the new twister the yarn, whenit reaches the flyer, has already had some twist inserted into it and hence tendency to skin back at the fiyer is avoided.

Other features of the device of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a side view of an inverted two-for-on single end twister embodying the invention, parts being broken away for convenience;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View of the lower end of the spindle, showing the mounting of parts thereon;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal bottom plan view of the spindle assembly;

Fig. 4 is a side view of a two-for-one inverted twister similar to that of Fig. lbut adapted for multiple end twisting; and

Fig. 5 is a side View of an inverted two-for-one twister representing another embodiment of the invention.

The single end twister shown in Figs. 1 to 3 includes a spindle 2 which is rotatably supported in axial'thrust bearings 4 and 6, the outer races of which are mounted in a block "I secured to an upright support 9, a fixed magnetic field yoke circuit piece 8 secured by any suitable means to the block land a disk type bipolar permanent magnet l9 magnetically coupled to the yoke piece 8. Magnet IE3, which may be a hard nickel alloy such as that sold under the trade name Alnico, (an alloy of aluminum, nickel, cobalt and iron, a product of the General Electric Company) is smoothly rounded at its periphery and is mounted on the outer race of a radial thrust bearing l2, the inner race of which is secured to the lower end of the spindle 2. The yarn supply package, for example a rayon cake I4, is carried in a bucket or carrier it which is pendulously suspended as by arms I8, from a ring 26 carried by the outer race of the bearing l2. Supported above the cake l4, by means of cylindrical core piece 22, is a disk type yarn guide 24. A thread guide fiyer 26 having an eye 26 is fixedly mounted on the spindle 2 above the bearing l2. To provide a yarn passage from the cake M to the eye 26' of the fiyer, the lower end of the spindle has an axial passage 28 therein which terminates below the fiyer mounting and communicates with a radial passage 30 in the spindle wall. The inner wall of the spindle, throughout the major length of the passage 28, is threaded for reception of a threaded bolt 32 and the bolt 32 has an axial passage 34 therein which is flared outwardly at 34 adjacent the radial passage 39. A fixed yarn guide 36 is carried by the support 9 and positioned vertically beneath the bucket 16 on the extended axis of the spindle 2. In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. l, the spindle 2 is rotated through gearing comprising a spiral drive gear 38 engaging a spiral pinion or worm 40 on the spindle, but other driving means, such as belts, could be employed if desired.

As the yarn unwinds from the side of the cake M with relatively low tension, tensioning means are preferably provided in the yarn path from the cake to the spindle passage 34. The particular tensioning means of the invention insure substantially constant tension in the yarn at ingress to the spindle passage. As shown best in Fig. 2, these means comprise a fixed post 52 of ceramic or similar hard, smooth material, and a friction contact roller 54 having a rubber or other elastic type surface and which is spring biased into contact with the post 52. A framework 56, carried by the ring 20, which supports the post 52 and roller 54 adjacent the end of the spindle, carries a yarn guide ring or eyelet 53. The guide ring 58 is positioned slightly off the extended axis of the spindle and beneath the roller 54 so that, with increase in yarn tension, the yarn, which passes through the guide and between the roller and post, tends to move the roller out of engagement with the post 52, thus reducing the friction therebetween and correcting for the increased yarn tension.

With the above described twister, the flow path of the yarn I is as follows: from the outside of the cake [4, over the edges of the guide 24, through the tensioning device, the axial passage 34 and radial passage 30 of the spindle 2, through the eye 26' of the fiyer, between the yoke 8 and disk magnet [0, down around the sides of the bucket 16 and through the guide 36 to the takeup mechanism. The take-up mechanism can be of conventional construction but should be of the constant linear velocity type and preferably should have rapid traverse builder motion so that the built up yarn package may be directly usable in, for example, a warper creel. One such suitable conventional type of take-up device is diagrammatically indicated in Fig. l as including the cylinder 42 which is driven at a constant speed in the direction of the arrow by any suitable means (not shown) and which drives the cylindrical yarn package 44 by friction; the surface of the cylinder 42 being provided with helical yarn grooves (not shown) for proper yarn traverse of the package during the winding operation.

In the above described two-for-one twister of iii Figs. 1 to 3, the disk magnet In is preferably provided with two poles to mate with the yoke piece 8, as such arrangement permits easy access to the eye 26 of the flyer during the threading operation, but a greater number of poles could be provided if desired.

The particular mounting of the flyer 26, now to be described, provides proper counter weighting action and also permits of ready replacement of the fiyer. As shown in Fig. 2, the mounting comprises a disk or washer 46 eccentrically mounted on the spindle 2 and having a small passage 43 therethrough. The spindle 2, above the disk 46, is provided with a diametral passage 50 terminating adjacent the passage 48 and countersunk at its termination. In mounting the flyer, the end of the wire forming the fiyer is inserted through the passage 50 in the spindle, and then bent downwardly substantially at right angles. The disk 46 is then moved axially of the spindle for reception of the turned down end of the flyer wire into and through the passage 48 and the disk is locked into position on the spindle by outward bending of the tip of the fiyer wire. This arrangement of eccentrically mounted disk provides the proper counterweight to balance the centrifugal force of the flyer. The thickness of the disk and the degree of eccentricity relative to the axis of the spindle will depend, of course, upon the size and weight of flyer wire and the radius of rotation of the fiyer guide loop. Furthermore the above described mounting provides a positive means for clamping the fiyer to the spindle, insures proper orientation thereof and permits of ready replacement of the fiyer.

The operation of the tWo-for-one twister of Figs. 1 to 3 will be readily apparent from the foregoing description of the construction thereof. The magnetic coupling between the fixed yoke 8 and bearing carried permanent disk magnet I0 together with the weights of the supply package [4 and of the bucket 16 hold the package against rotation. Rotation of the spindle 2 and fiyer 26 carried thereby produces a yarn balloon around the bucket l6 and the yarn, in its passage from the package, through the axis of the spindle and eye 26' of the rotating fiyer to the fixed guide 36, will be twisted twice for each revolution of the spindle.

The inverted two-for-one single-end twister of Figs. 1 to 3 can be readily converted for plying operations by the mere addition of means for supporting the additional yarn supply packages and for leading the yarn from the packages to the tension device and spindle passage. Such a multi-end twister is shown in Fig. 4 wherein three yarn package supporting means or carriers 16a, 16b and I60 are provided for packages 14a, [4b and respectively. Carrier I60. which is pendulously supported from the ring 20 of the spindle assembly in the same manner as carrier 16 of Fig. 1, is provided with a vertical central aperture 66a through which yarns l5band IEC from packages I47) and I40 respectively are delivered, and with suitable means, as for example hooks 6211. on its under surface, from which the carrier I6b may be suspended. Similarly carrier l6b has a central aperture 60?) for passage of yarn [50 from package [40 therethrough and is provided with hooks 62b for suspension of carrier 16c therefrom. In order to insure proper tension for each yarn, separate tensioning devices, 64a, 64b and 640, each'like that heretofore described in connection with the single end twister of Figs. 1 to 3, are provided and supported and as like elements have been identified with the same reference numbers, no further description thereof will be given.

The operation of the twister of Fig. l is substantially similar to that of the single end twister of Figs. 1 to 3. The three ends, from the packages I la, 14b and Mo, after passing through their individual tensioning devices, are led together into and through the common tensioning device comprising the post 52 and roller 54 and thence through the spindle passages and fiyer guide ring to the fixed guide and take-up devices; the ends in their flow from the spindle to the fixed guide 33 being twisted into a three-ply yarn. As in the single-end twister, two twists will be inserted in the yarn for each revolution of the spindle.

In the embodiments of the invention so far described, the spindle has been vertically mounted and magnetic means have been provided for stabilizing the yarn supply package and preventing rotation thereof with the spindle. In Fig. 5 is disclosed a twister construction in which the magnetic coupling means are dispensed with and reliance is placed on the force of gravity for prevention of rotation of the yarn supply package with the spindle. The construction of Fig. 5, as compared to the preferred embodiment of the invention wherein the spindle is mounted vertically, requires substantially more floor space for accommodation of the relatively larger balloon and introduces additional torque on the bearing supporting the sup-ply package. the spindle 2 carrying the flyer 25, is rotatably mounted at an angle to the vertical, say 20, in fixed bearings d and 6 and an arm l6 having a weight W at one end thereof is secured at its other end to the. outer race of a bearing l2 so as to prevent rotation 01" the outer race and of the parts carried thereby. These bearing carried parts comprise the ring 2b and framework 56 to which the upper end of a cylindrical shaft it is secured by means of a flexible coupling member H of rubber or thelike. The yarn supply package H3 is rotatably mounted on the shaft ill by means of suitable bearings and an arm 52, carrying a tension device at the outer end thereof, is secured to the shaft above the package It. The yarn tension device of Fig. '5 comprises a cylindrical member M of porcelain, or the like, rotatably mounted in the arm '32 and having a hook or guide M integral therewith and a spiral biasing spring having one end fixed to arm '52 and its other end secured to member M. A balloon guard ring E8 is mounted on an arm 76 fixed to shaft ill. The flow path of the yarn l5 of'the twister of Fig. 5 may be traced as follows: from the side of the package it through the hook or guide 14', around the pc- I riphery of the cylinder M, into an aperture 18 in the wall of shaft ill, axially upward through the hollow core of the shaft, into and through In this embodiment of the invention,

all

ciz

intersecting axial and radial passages 28' and 38, respectively, of the spindle 2, through the yarn guide loop 26' of the flyer and fixed guide.

I of the yarn therefrom. The angle of wrap of the yarn about the cylinder 14 will vary with the tension of the yarn in a direction to counteract tension changes as, with increasing yarn tension the cylinder will turn against the bias of spring l5 and in a direction to decrease the length of yarn in engagement withthe surface of the cylinder and hence to'decrease the friction therebetween. As in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, two twists are imparted to the yarn with each rotation of the spindle; The spindle 2 may be gear driven, like that of Fig. 1, or belt driven like that of Fig. 4 and as shown.

The invention has now been described'with reference to several embodiments thereof. Obviously various changes in the particular constructions illustrated in the drawings could be made without departure from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the magnetic coupled type of construction best shown in Figure 3, the suspended disk member H) of the magnetic assembly, instead of being of one permanently mag netized material, could be of non-magnetic material with small permanent magnets insertedtherein, or the fixed member of the assembly could be a permanent magnet and the suspended member a disk with iron inserts positioned op-" posite the pole faces of the permanent magnet. Although the shape of the bearing carried member of the magnetic coupling is preferably that of a disk, as with such shape there is less danger of the yarn being caught during build up of the balloon, other shaped bearing carried members, for example, bars could be employed whenthe free yarn path between the flyer and the passage between the members of the magnetic coupling is short enough to insure no contact of the yarn with the bearing carried member. Although, in the gravity type of construction of Fig. 5 the yarn package has been shown as rotatably carried on a pendulous member, the bucket type of support for the yarn packages shown in Figs. 1 and 4 could equally wellbe employed in the gravity type twister, and conversely the yarn packages of the magnetically coupled type of twisters could be supported as in the construction illustrated in Fig. 5. The gravity type of twister has been illustrated in Fig. 5 as a single end twister. Obviously additions, similar to those described with reference to Fig. 4, could be made to the structure of Fig. 5 to convert the same into a multi-endtwister. In each of the illustrated embodiments of the invention the yarn unwinds .over the end of the package and hence but one turn is introduced into the yarn flow path. The yarn packages could be readily mounted however, so

as to provide through-center rather than overend unwinding such as is shown for example in Figure 3 of U. S. Patent 1,772,766 to Andrew'et a'l., dated August '12, 1930, if desired, in which case a second 180 turn would be introduced into the yarn flow path. It will be understood that conventional safety devices could, and preferably would, be employed with the new twister. For example, means could be provided for stopping -i rotation of the spindle should the yarn package or its carrier start to rotate with the spindle, one such means is shown in U. S. Patent 1,800,784 to Durand, dated April 14, 1931. Other variations will occur to those skilled in the art.

From the above description it will be apparent that the invention provides a new method for inserting twist into yarn or for increasing the twist thereof which involves the drawing of the yarn upward from a supply package first through a stationary guide (the lower end of the spindle), and then through two rotatable guides above the stationary guide, the first of which (the passage 30) being at an angle of about 90 with the stationary guide and the second of which (the fiyer eye), being at an angle of about 90 with the first rotatable guide, and then downwardly around the package while rotating the rotatable guides at equal angular velocity. It will be apparent also that the two-for-one inverted twister of the invention is of simple and compact construction, is dynamically stable and can be operated as a single end or as a multiple end twister at a rate to insure in one operation high production of either high or low twist yarn.

As heretofore indicated the new two-for-one twister is particularly suitable for use in imparting twist to strands of untwisted continuous filaments, but obviously it could as well be employed as an incremental twister for low twist yarn whether the yarn be of fibers of staple length, such as cotton, wool or the like or of continuous filaments such as rayon, nylon, silk, glass or the like.

The following is claimed:

1. A device for twisting fibers which produces two twists for each revolution of a spindle, comprising, in combination, a rotatable spindle, an axial and radial passage therein for reception of fibers, means for rotating the spindle, fiber supply support means associated with said spindle, stabilizing means for preventing rotation of said support means with said spindle, a guide to balloon fibers drawn from a supported package about said support means, mounted on said spindle and extending outwardly therefrom, fiber tension control means for maintaining a uniform shape of balloon and disposed between said support means and said guide in the fiber flow path, and means disposed below said support means for receiving twisted fibers, said support means, spindle, passage, guide and receiving means being so positioned that the fiber flow path through the device describes a loop whose total resultant arc is approximately 180.

2. A device for twisting fibers which produces two wists for each revolution of a spindle, comprising, in combination, a rotatable spindle, an axial and radial passage therein fOr reception of fibers, fiber supply support means associated with said spindle, stabilizing means for preventing rotation of said support means with said spindle, comprising a pair of members magnetically coupled together, one of said members being associated with said support means and the other of said members being fixedly positioned relative to said support means, a guide to balloon fibers drawn from a supported package about said support means, mounted on said spindle and extending outwardly therefrom, fiber tension control means for maintaining a uniform shape of balloon and disposed between thesaid support means and said guide in the fiber flow path, and means disposed below said support means for receivin the twisted fibers,

said support means, spindle, passage, guide and receiving means being so positioned that the flow path of the fibers over the same describes a loop whose total resultant arc is approximately 3. A textile twisting device comprising, in combination, a spindle rotatably supported in vertical position, means carried by said spindle for sup: porting at least one fiber supply package, fiber tension control means associated with said supporting means, means preventing rotation of said package supportin means by said spindle, guide means disposed longitudinally of and below said spindle, and a second guide means fixedly mounted on the spindle and extending outwardly therefrom, said supporting means, fiber tension control means and second-mentioned guide means being constructed to permit fiber material to be drawn therethrough to said first mentioned guide, and being so positioned that the fiber flow path through the device describes a loop whose total resultant arc is approximately 180.

4. A two-for-one twister comprising in combination a spindle, bearing means for rotatably supporting the spindle, driving means for rotating the spindle about its axis, a fiyer secured to said spindle for rotation therewith, means for pendulously carrying a supply package of filamentary textile material from said spindle, means for preventing rotation of said package carrying means, said spindle having passages therein for directing material drawn upwardly over-end from a package carried by said carrying means to said fiyer, means for tensioning material in its travel from a package to the spindle passages, said means comprising a cylindrical member having a relatively hard smooth surface and a rotatably mounted friction member yieldably engaging said surface and means for guiding the material between said members, and a fixed guide positioned beneath said package carrying means for delivery of filamentary material therethrough, the filamentary material from a. package ballooning about the package carrying means in passage from the fiyer to said fixed guide.

5. A device for imparting twist to yarn comprising in combination, a spindle rotatively supported in vertical position, a bearing carried by said spindle and having an inner race and an outer race, said inner race being secured to said spindle, means for pendulously supporting a yarn supply package from the outer race of said bearing, a magnetic means carried by said outer race, fixed means magnetically coupled with said magnetic means, a yarn guide flyer carried by said spindle, said spindle having axial and radial passages therein for guidance of yarn from a supported supply package to the fiyer guide, a fixed yarn guide, positioned beneath said package supporting means, for takeoff of yarn therethrough and means for rotating said spindle to cause the yarn to revolve about the package whereby two twists are inserted in the yarn for each revolution of the spindle.

6, An inverted two-for-one twister comprising in combination, a rotating spindle, inner and outor bearing members carried by the spindle, a magnetic member and a yarn supply package holder each carried by said outer bearing member, a fixed yoke piece positioned in proximity to said magnetic member so as to be magnetically coupled thereto, a yarn guide fiyer secured to said spindle above said bearing, said spindle having an axial yarn passage at its lower end and a radial yarn passage communicating with the axial passage above said bearing for leading yarn from a supply package in said holder to the flyer guide, and a fixed guide positioned beneath said holder for delivery of twisted yarn therethrough, the path of the yarn being free from the flyer to the fixed guide whereby a balloon is formed about said holder during rotation of said spindle, the magnetic coupling between the fixed yoke piece and the bearing carried magnetic member preventing rotation of said holder while permitting passage of the yarn between the yoke piece and magnetic member.

7. The twister according to claim 6 wherein said magnetic member is a disk type permanent magnet having two poles therein, said disk magnet being smoothly rounded at its periphery for passage of yarn thereby.

8. A textile twisting device comprising in combination a spindle rotatably supported at an angle to the horizontal, and provided with intersecting axial and substantially radial passages adapted to receive filamentary material, means carried by said spindle for supportin a plurality of supply package holders for filamentary material below the spindle, a plurality of package holders supported by said means in vertical alignment with each other, said holders having openings therein for passage therethrough of material from lower supply package holders to said spindle passages, means preventing rotation of said pack i age holders with said spindle, and a guide mounted on the spindle and extending outwardly therefrom, adapted to receiv filamentary material from said spindle passages and balloon it about said supply package holders.

9. The twisting device of claim 8 including an individual tension control device associated with each holder and a common yarn tension control device positioned for passage therethrough of the material from all the packages carried by said holders before introduction into the spindle passages.

10. In a yarn twisting device having a spindle adapted to be rotated about its axis and a yarn supply package holder carried by the spindle, the improvement which comprises a counterbalancing device having a hole therethrough for reception of the spindle, a flyer wire having a, thread guide at one end, the spindle having a passage therethrough and the other end of the wire passing through the passage in the spindle, said wire being locked to said counterbalancing device so as to orient and retain said counterbalancing device on the spindle with the major weight of the counterbalancing device counterbalancing the thread guide end of the wire. 7

11. In a yarn twisting device having a spindle adapted to be rotated about its axis and a yarn supply package holder carried by the spindle, the improvement which comprises a disk having an eccentric hole therethrough for reception of the spindle, a flyer wire having a thread guide at one end thereof, the spindle having a passage therethrough and the other end of said wire passing through the passage in the spindle, said wire being locked to said disk so as to orient and retain said risk on the spindle with the major weight of the disk counterbalancing the thread guide end of the wire.

12. The improvement according to claim 11 wherein said disk is provided with an aperture for reception of the end of said wire, the extreme end of said fiyer wire being bent to lock the flyer to the disk and the disk to the spindle.

13. In a yarn twisting device having a spindle adapted to be rotated about its axis and a yarn supply package holder carried by the spindle, the improvement which comprises a counterbalancing device having a hole therethrough for reception of the spindle, a fiyer wire having a thread guide REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date MacFarlane July 17, 1917 Werber Jan. 12, 1926 Andrew et a1. Aug. 12, 1930 Durand Apr. 14, 1931 Pool May 23, 1933 Morton Sept. 19, 1939 Gwaltney et a1 Dec. 18, 1945 Naumann Mar. 26, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Mar. 10, 1933 Number Number 

